


Penalty Waltz

by afteriwake



Series: Day By Day [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-08
Updated: 2012-11-16
Packaged: 2017-11-18 05:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one said "happily ever after" equals problem free, as Emma learns when August returns to Storybrooke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I never expected "Fanciful Stories & Second Chances" to be as popular as it is, but when I saw that I thought it might be interesting to make a series out of it, focusing on all the characters who got their happy endings back. So this is another multipart story, but I'll have shorter ones as well. Title comes from a song by HALLOWEEN JUNKY ORCHESTRA.

It had been three weeks since her return, and Storybrooke was adjusting to all the changes, as well as the news that their former home was really dead and gone. The new residents were adjusting well enough, though Emma did remember Mulan’s reaction to reach for her sword the first time she saw a car heading towards her. Some things were harder to overcome than other things, and past habits were hard to break.

Things were good in her life. Henry had moved back into Regina’s home a few days ago, and it seemed that Henry and Daniel had hit it off well. It felt strange not having Henry there every day, though on the weekends Henry would be there and they would get to spend time together. The situation between all of the people involved in Henry’s life was good, and that made Emma happy. They were settling into a new routine and so far there weren’t any bumps in the road.

She and Graham were taking things slowly, probably more slowly than they needed to, but he’d been dead for a while and suddenly being back was hard on him. There was definite attraction between them, that hadn’t changed since the day in the station when he died or their reunion three weeks ago. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to open herself up totally to any guy, even Graham, and she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, the other shoe being August. He was out there, somewhere, human again, and there was always the chance he would come back. So she was trying to enjoy what she had with Graham without worrying it would all crash down on her head.

Red had decided to forgo a second chance at love with her wish, instead lifting the curse that kept Storybrooke’s residents in Storybrooke. Even though they could leave now, most of the residents had stayed. Rumpilstilskin had left, in the company of the young woman who had gone to the meeting with him, Belle. They were off to try and find his son, though he had told Emma that if she needed him he would come back. She hoped she didn’t need to. And she had to admit it was easier with him gone; most of the residents hadn’t trusted him. He and Milah had had a very long conversation and in the end the pawn shop was turned over to her. She was doing a very good job running it, or so Emma had heard.

The others coming back from the Enchanted Forest were also settling in quite well. Belle had turned over the library to Aurora, and Phillip had decided to work at the stables, training and caring for the horses there. Killian had gotten a hold of a boat and was becoming the best fisherman in town. Mulan had decided to teach martial arts and self-defense along with Shang, and already she was getting a warm reception from those interested. Snow had gone back to teaching, because she really did love that job and she loved her students at the school. Graham had decided not to go back to being the Sheriff, staying on as Emma’s deputy. It was strange, their positions being reversed, and what made it even stranger was that her father had also enjoyed being part of law enforcement, so he had stayed on as the other deputy. Being the boss of her kind-of boyfriend and her father was probably not the strangest thing she’d had happen, but it was high up there.

This morning she was in her pajamas, curled up on the couch with the newspaper. She had realized it was probably a very good idea to give her parents some space, and since this was originally Mary Margaret’s home she’d decided to move out. She needed a place of her own, and she was kind of itching to not have to pay for the storage unit holding all her stuff from Boston. Red had offered to join her on the drive to get her things, as had Graham. Red wanted to travel, and this was a golden opportunity for her, and Graham was just being helpful. His old place had been kept pretty much as it was, so it wasn’t hard for him to settle into things again.

Snow came out of her bedroom, whistling. Emma turned and looked at her. She looked happy, and it wasn’t hard to imagine what had put that smile on her face. Being reunited with her husband had done a lot of good. Snow caught Emma staring and smiled at her. “Good morning, Emma.”

“Morning,” she replied with a grin of her own. “I made coffee.”

“I could smell it,” Snow said with a chuckle. “Your father doesn’t want to get out of bed, so I figured I would bring him a cup to persuade him.”

“He better get out of bed. It’s my day off, so he and Graham are in charge of keeping the town safe today,” she said, turning back to the paper.

“Anything interesting going on in town?” Snow asked as she began making a cup of coffee.

“Not much. I’m just looking for a new place.”

“You don’t have to move out,” Snow said.

“I kind of do,” Emma said, turning back to her mother. “It’s not like I’m going to leave Storybrooke. I just…I need some space.”

“Well, you see, your father and I were talking. Abigail has moved into Frederick’s home, and she offered your father their old home. We’re considering taking her up on her offer, and letting you keep this place.”

Emma lowered the newspaper. “So you’re going to move out?”

Snow nodded. “We’re going to spend some time redecorating that house first. Painting, wallpapering, things like that. And we’ll be taking most of the furniture from here. Abigail took what she wanted, but Charming likes the things here so there’s very little he wants to keep that’s there.”

Emma looked around. Truth be told, this place felt like home, the first one she’d had in a long time. She could settle in here comfortably. This could really be her home. “Okay. If that’s what you guys want to do, then I’ll just stay here. I still need to go to Boston and get my stuff, though.”

“Of course,” Snow said with a smile.

Emma was going to respond but her phone rang. With a sigh she picked it up. It was Graham. “Please tell me I don’t have to come in on my day off,” she said as she answered it.

“There’s someone looking for you,” he said quietly.

She froze. “August?” she asked.

“Yes,” Graham said. She had told Graham about everything that had happened since his death, including all the time she spent with August and the conflicting feelings she’d felt for him. The news that he was back settled in her stomach like a stone. “He wants to find out why he’s no longer wood, among other things.”

“Have you said anything about us?” she asked.

“It’s not my place,” he replied.

She sighed. “Let me change and I’ll be there to go get him.” Then she paused. “Where are you two, anyway?”

“The diner. I was enjoying breakfast before work.”

“Then I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she replied.

“See you then,” Graham replied.

She hung up and stood up. “This is going to be fun,” she said quietly.

“August is back?” Snow asked, fixing a second cup of coffee.

Emma nodded. “Yup. He’s at the diner.”

“Well, hopefully things will go well,” Snow said.

“Remind your husband to be at work on time. And to have a first aid kit ready for Graham in case things get out of hand,” Emma said as she made her way to her room.

Snow suppressed a smile. “I will.”

Emma saw it and scowled slightly. This? This was a complication she simply wasn’t looking forward to.


	2. Chapter 2

The closer Emma got to the diner the more the rock in her stomach caused her discomfort. What was going to happen? Was there going to be words? Fists flying? Some other disaster she’d have to deal with? Would August be happy? Upset? She didn’t want to think about it, but this was her life and she wanted it as calm as possible.

She got to the door and opened it, stepping inside. Graham was in the booth in the front, and August was at the counter. There wasn’t any blood on the floor and the two of them looked unharmed. She pulled Graham’s old jacket around her as she entered; that was the one thing he hadn’t gotten back when the townspeople made sure he got all his things back. She had bought him a new one, and he seemed to like it.

August turned at the sound of the door opening, and he was grinning. Okay, this was good. He wasn’t confused or angry. Good. “Hey,” he said, getting out of his seat. “Ruby was telling me how you broke the curse. Or I guess it’s back to Red now.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Guess you were right.”

He came up to her and stood in front of her. “I was still wood when I woke up. Then all of a sudden a few weeks ago I wasn’t. I was traveling and decided to come back, see if I could find out why.”

She nodded. “Henry wished it,” she said quietly. “I’ll explain more later.”

He must have realized it was a big secret immediately because he began nodding towards her. “Okay. Want to take a walk?”

She shrugged slightly. “Fine.”

“Let me get you a coffee,” Red called from behind the counter.

“Thanks,” Emma called back as Red began making the special coffee Emma usually got when she came into the diner for breakfast. She was thankful, but she also wished she could have just left with August and not had to stand around. The longer the two of them were in the diner the more she was worried all hell would break loose. But Red was good at her job and it was ready quickly. Emma went over and took the cup, then looked at August and nodded towards the door.

August nodded and headed out the door first, cradling his own cup of a steaming hot drink in his hands. They walked side by side along the main street, sipping their drinks. Finally after a block August spoke. “I take it the wishing is a big secret?”

She nodded. “Did Red tell you everything?”

“You got sent back to the Enchanted Forest and just came back three weeks ago, along with some new townspeople.”

Emma nodded. “We went to the giant’s realm, and brought back a wishing ring. A select few townspeople made wishes with it.”

“What was your wish?” he asked.

“For me, my mother and the rest of the people in our group to get away from the beanstalk safely,” she said. “It was kind of a wish of necessity. Then Hook wished for his true love to come back to life, Aurora did the same with _her_ true love, Mulan wished for all of us and her family to come here safely, my mother wished for Regina’s true love to come back, Ruby wished for the curse keeping everyone here in Storybrooke to be lifted, Henry wished for you to be brought back to normal and my father wished for Graham to come back to life.”

August nodded slowly. “I’ll have to thank Henry next time I see him,” he said with a grin. “Where’s the ring now?”

“In the ocean. Hook took it out on a boating trip and dropped it overboard. I was with him,” Emma said with a shrug. “It’s safer there.”

“You’re probably right,” he said. “Some good wishes there, though.”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod of her own. “My mother’s wish was probably the best. The whole reason Regina became the Evil Queen was that her mother killed Daniel and she couldn’t bring him back to life. Now that she’s blissfully happy I don’t think we have to worry about her anymore.”

“And what about you?” he asked.

“What about me?” she replied.

“Are you happy?”

She nodded. “I am, I guess.”

“I missed you,” he replied.

“I missed you too,” she said. She didn’t like admitting it, but it was the truth, and she wasn’t about to start lying to him now. “But I have something to tell you.”

“You and Graham are together.” She looked at him sharply. “I knew he’d called you, and I figured it wasn’t just because I was in town and he didn’t recognize me. Plus the looks that Red was giving? If you can read people, you can tell.”

She relaxed. “Yeah, we are.”

“Well, how serious is it?”

“A little serious. Maybe. I don’t know. I mean, we’re kind of still getting to know each other.” 

“That’s good to know. Means it might not be hard to sweep you off your feet.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. “What?”

He had taken another step forward, then stopped and turned to look at her. “I did a lot of thinking while I was gone. I figured if I ever got lucky enough to be flesh and blood again I was going to come back and do what I should have done before.”

She did not need this. She did not need to be caught in the middle of a love triangle. No, no, _no_. “August…”

“At least give me a chance,” he said. “You’re not serious with the Huntsman, right?”

“I am, a little.” She just wanted this conversation to end so she could hide somewhere dark and quiet, somewhere away from where this debacle was headed. “Look, I don’t want anything to change. I don’t want to be a prize for one of the two of you, okay? Just…forget about it, please?”

“Not a chance,” he said with a grin. “I promise I won’t treat you like a prize. I care about you, Emma. I just want a shot at seeing if there’s something there.”

She shook her head. “No. August…”

“Please?” He looked at her intently, and she felt her resolve weakening. Damnit, what was wrong with her? This was a bad idea, a very bad idea. But the devil on her shoulder was whispering that she had wanted to make August completely human _before_ she’d wanted to bring Graham back, so she really should see if there was anything there.

“I’m going to regret this,” she murmured. Then she sighed. “Fine. You can _try_. But I’m setting some ground rules.”

“Does the Huntsman get the same rules?”

“Yes. Rule number one: no fighting between the two of you, verbal or physical. Rule number two: no sabotaging the other’s dates. And rule number three: my decision is final. No trying to sway me if I pick the other guy.”

August nodded. “That sounds fair.”

“Good.”

“So…who gets the first date?”

“You do, I guess. I’ve had three dates with Graham since he came back, so you get three. Then after that we’ll figure something else out.”

“I’ll try my best to sweep you off your feet,” he said with a grin. He reached over for her hand, pulled it up to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. She began fervently praying that no one was paying attention to them, pulling her hand away quickly. “You might want to go tell him about all this. It’s only fair, after all.”

“Fine,” she said. He gave her one last wide grin and then headed towards his parked motorcycle. She stared after him, then with a sigh went back to the diner. Graham was still there, and from the looks of it he’d been watching out the window at the whole scene; being a hunter he had unwholesomely sharp eyesight, she’d found. She slid into the booth across from him, crossed her arms and put them on the table. “We need to talk.”

Graham nodded. “He wants to be able to see if he has a chance with you.”

She blinked. “What _is_ it with you guys from the Enchanted Forest? You are too damn perceptive for your own good.”

“No, it’s just a male thing,” Graham said. “I assume there are rules for whatever it is you two agreed to?”

“No fighting with each other, no sabotaging the other’s dates, and my decision is final.”

“All right,” he said. “Anything else I should know?”

“He gets three dates to try before we figure out something else to alternate them,” she said.

“That sounds fair.”

She stared at him. “Why are you being so calm about this?” she asked quietly.

“Getting angry wouldn’t help,” he said. “And to be honest, I think I have a better shot.” He grinned at her slightly and she relaxed a little more. Hopefully this boded well for things not getting as crazy as they could. “I promise to follow your rules to the letter. And now, I need to go head off to work.”

“You don’t have to start for another hour,” she said, checking her watch.

“I have paperwork I held over from last night,” he replied. “I thought I would use the time before your father arrived to get it done.” He stood up, pulled out some money to pay for his food, then moved next to her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and she felt herself once again wishing some hole would open up under her and she could crawl into it. Those two needed to figure out _fast_ that she was very anti-PDA. “Have a good day off. I’ll do my best not to call you in.” And then he paid Red and left.

Red came over and picked up Graham’s dishes. “So. You have two hot guys fighting over you,” she said with a smile.

“There better _not_ be any fighting,” Emma grumbled, and then she sighed, putting her head on her arms. “Why on earth did I agree to this?”

“Because you care about both of them and you want to make the best choice,” Red said sympathetically. She put the dishes back on the table and put a hand on Emma’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “It’ll be fine, Emma. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get true love out of the deal.”

Emma lifted her head up. “Maybe,” she said.

Red gave her a wide grin. “Graham left enough for his food, a tip and another meal. I think that’s his way of buying you breakfast without actually asking. What do you want to eat?”

“Pancakes?” Emma asked, uncrossing her arms.

“Coming right up,” Red said with a nod before picking the plates up again and heading into the kitchen. Emma frowned slightly. She had the sinking suspicion that this whole thing was going to get worse before it was over…


	3. Chapter 3

That evening was date free, thankfully, because it was the weekly family dinner. And by family dinner, Emma mused as she walked towards Regina’s home, it meant the whole clan: Henry, Snow, Charming, Regina, Daniel and herself. They had dinner together at Regina’s on Friday nights, and when dinner was over Henry went home with Emma for the weekend. Once Daniel had been brought back the relationship between Snow and Regina had warmed considerably, though there were still the undercurrents of hurts not yet healed. But Charming and Daniel had hit it off well, as had she and Daniel, so it seemed to help.

In fact it was Daniel who answered the door, wide grin on his face. “Hello, Emma,” he said. “You’re the first one here tonight.”

“Charming is going to be late. Apparently one of the kids tried to steal from the pawn shop and Milah almost cut off his hand. He’s dealing with paperwork.” She grinned back slightly. “My deputies assured me they could handle it on their own, and I believe them.”

“Plus you don’t want to ruin your day off?” he asked.

“Exactly,” she said with a slight chuckle. It had been the first time she’d laughed all day, and it eased her stress level a bit. “Is Henry around?”

“Helping Regina cook as we speak,” he replied. “He’s in charge of dessert.”

“No apples, I hope,” Emma said warily. 

Daniel shook his head. “I believe he’s making pudding. He keeps checking it to make sure it’s set. Regina was trying to find something else to occupy his attention when I left. You might be just the distraction she needs.”

“Then I’ll go in the kitchen and distract,” she said as she shrugged off her jacket. She glanced around the mayoral abode. The townspeople had come to a more or less common consensus that Regina stay mayor, only because she had all the knowledge needed to actually run the town. Regina hadn’t forced them or used magic, and she said if anyone else wanted a run-off for mayor she’d be more than willing to do it. But Snow and Charming had voiced their support for the idea, much to Regina’s surprise, and the compromise had been that Snow become deputy mayor and Charming head of the city council on top of their other jobs. Between the three of them they were managing to keep Storybrooke running smoothly.

She could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, she realized as she and Daniel made small talk. If nothing else Regina was a much better cook than her, and she almost found herself looking forward to Friday evening for more than just the chance to have Henry for the weekend. They came into the kitchen in time to see Regina showing Henry the best way to toss a salad. “Like this?” Henry was saying, taking the two wooden forks. He flipped them up and a small chunk of lettuce fell on the counter.

“Yes, with less force,” Regina said, a smile on her face as she picked up the piece of lettuce and popped it into her mouth. Regina frequently wore smiles these days. It was nice to see. Daniel cleared his throat and Regina looked up. “Hello, Emma.”

“Regina,” she said, grinning back slightly.

“Hey, Mom!” Henry called over, wide grin on his own face. “I made dessert tonight.”

“Yeah, Daniel was telling me that,” she said, her smile widening. “You know a watched pudding never sets, right, kiddo?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said, attempting to toss the salad again. This time all the lettuce stayed in the bowl. “Yes!”

“Good job,” Regina said, putting her arms around his shoulders for a slight hug. Before Emma had seen gestures like that and it had made her sad or angry or jealous; now she saw it and it didn’t bother her. They were still getting the hang of co-parenting, but it was getting easier. Regina turned to Emma. “I have news.”

“Oh?” Emma said, taking the glass of wine Daniel brought over to her.

“I’ll tell Snow and Charming when they get here, but Daniel and I picked a date. We’re getting married next Thursday.”

“Congratulations,” she said before taking a sip of wine. “Going anywhere interesting for a honeymoon?”

She shook her head. “We’re staying here. Everything is still sorting itself out, and I still haven’t finished training Snow in mayoral duties. But I was hoping you could take Henry for the week so we could have some privacy.”

“Sure,” Emma said with a nod. The extra time with her son would be nice. “Any reason for the rush?”

“If you must know, I’m tired of waiting. I’ve done enough waiting, more than I needed to. We’d have done it earlier, but it was taking some time to get the license since we just finished getting all the new residents set up with identification and such. Everything is official now, so we can get the license.”

“That’s good,” she said as the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Daniel said.

Emma watched him walk back to the door and then went to go stand on the other side of Henry, looking down at the salad. “Are you excited too, Henry?”

“Yeah. It’ll be kind of nice having a stepdad,” he said with a grin. “I just thought of something. That makes Daniel your step-grandfather, doesn’t it?”

“And your step-great-grandfather, too, if you want to give yourself a headache,” Regina said to Henry with a wry smile.

“We have the most complicated family tree in town,” Emma said. “You’re Henry’s adoptive mother and step-great-grandmother, Snow and Charming are his grandparents, and now Daniel’s getting thrown into the mix.” She took a sip of her wine.

“And then when you get married I’ll have another step-father,” Henry said to Emma, who nearly choked on her wine. “Are you okay?”

“Let’s not talk to Emma about relationships, Henry. She has a lot on her mind,” Regina said.

“Yeah, I saw August was back,” Henry said. “But don’t you like Sheriff Graham?”

“It’s complicated, kiddo,” Emma said with a sigh as Daniel came back in with Snow.

“What’s complicated?” Snow asked.

“Emma’s relationship status,” Regina said with a slight smirk. Emma glared a bit. Good to know at least someone was amused by this, she thought to herself sourly.

“Oh, you mean the fact she’s dating two men at once?” Snow asked, and then Emma turned to her mother and stared. “I paid your father a visit before I came here. Apparently Graham asked for his advice on a few things.”

Emma shook her head and drank some more wine. “Just what I need, the rest of my family getting involved in this mess,” she muttered.

“Well, if it helps, the advice he gave was to be himself, respect your wishes and give you space when it’s not his turn to go out with you.”

“Good advice,” Regina noted. “But Graham does have the advantage, considering he works with her. He gets more time with her.”

“That is true,” Snow replied, tilting her head slightly. “You’ll have to factor that into how much time you spend with August, in the interest of fairness.”

“Why don’t I just make him a deputy, too?” Emma said, her voice slightly exasperated.

“The budget can’t handle one sheriff and three deputies,” Regina pointed out. Emma glared at her and she smirked back. They may be more friendly these days, but there was still that urge to annoy each other that shined through at odd moments.

“You could always allow August to have two dates for every one Graham gets,” Daniel said thoughtfully, pouring a glass of wine for Snow.

“That might work,” Snow said with a nod. Daniel came over to her with a glass of wine. “Thank you, Daniel.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “If that doesn’t work, you could also make your dates with August longer. Let him have a daylong date every once in a while and keep Graham’s dates on the shorter side.”

“I like that idea better,” Emma said after a moment.

“I hope you pick Graham,” Henry said. “I like August a lot, but I like Graham more.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Emma said with a slight smile towards her son. And to be honest, Henry’s opinion _was_ important to her. He had been right; if whatever relationship Emma ended with got as far as marriage, he would be Henry’s step-father.

“My vote is for Graham as well,” Regina said. “I know him well enough. I trust him more than I trust August.” Emma raised an eyebrow slightly but Regina ignored it. The fact that Regina had a much more _intimate_ knowledge of Graham than she did was not something she wanted to think about right now.

“I like Graham more as well,” Snow said before taking a sip of her wine. “But this is your decision, Emma, and I’ll support whoever you choose.”

Emma took a long sip of wine. Graham may have been right when he had said he stood a better chance that morning; he seemed to have her whole family’s support, at the very least. She looked over at Daniel. “Do you have an opinion as well, Daniel?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know August, so it’s not fair to compare them.”

“Ah,” Emma said. “Well, now that I know how all of you really feel, can we change the subject?” she asked.

“Sure,” Snow said with a nod, and she launched into a conversation with Henry about school. Soon everyone was caught up in it and when the conversation turned away from that to other matters it seemed as though Emma’s dilemma was tabled, for the moment, at least. Even when her father arrived they avoided talking about it, and for that she was grateful. They made it through dinner and dessert, and soon enough Henry was grabbing his things for a weekend with the other half of his family. It wasn’t until Henry had finally gone down for the night around ten and Emma and her parents were lounging around the living room that it came up again. This time Snow brought it up. “Do you know when you’re having your first date with August?”

“Sunday night. I told both of them that Fridays and Saturdays are off limits so I can spend time with Henry.” She took a sip of her hot cocoa, realizing that she had just finished it. She set the empty cup in the sink. “Though if Henry’s going to be here for a week I should probably tell them soon.”

“We can spend time with Henry one or two nights so you can go out,” Charming said. “I kind of miss spending time with just him.”

“You two did do an awful lot of bonding while we were gone, didn’t you?” Snow asked him.

He nodded. “Yeah. I really got to know my grandson while you two weren’t here. He’s a good kid, and I love him a lot.”

“If you two are sure,” Emma said.

“We are,” Snow said with a nod. “How long do you think you’re going to give them?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a slight shrug. “I still haven’t thought it all the way through.”

“Well, don’t string it on too long,” Charming said. “It’s not fair to them.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know,” Emma said with a sigh. “And I suppose you favor Graham in this, too?”

“Honestly? My opinion isn’t important. It’s what you want that’s important. Whoever you choose I’ll be happy with.” He gave her a grin and she returned it. “Either one of them would be a good son-in-law if it ever got to that point. At the very least I know they both care about you, and they both care about Henry. That’s the two most important things right there.”

“I guess you’re right,” Emma said with a nod. She yawned slightly. “If you two will excuse me, I have to work tomorrow. Are you guys going to be fine with Henry all day?”

“We’ll be fine,” Snow said with a smile. “Good night, Emma.”

“Night, Emma,” Charming said.

“Good night,” she replied before heading towards her room. She changed quickly and crawled into bed, hopeful that she might get a solid night’s sleep but doubting very much that would actually happen. When sleep finally did overtake her, she was glad to be proven wrong as she slept soundly through the night.


	4. Chapter 4

She had to admit, as Regina’s wedding to Daniel neared and her extra time with Henry got closer, it wasn’t exactly a bad thing to have two guys paying extra attention to her. She’d had her first three dates with August. They had basically been dinner and a long walk afterwards, which was the exact same dates she’d had with Graham. Now that he wasn’t trying to convince her that everyone she knew was a fairytale character and he was really a wooden boy she found he had some really interesting things to say. They talked for about three hours each time, and he dropped her off at her place with nary a goodnight kiss.

It wasn’t all that awkward working with Graham, either, because he seemed to do one or two nice things for everyone at the station, not just her. If he got a coffee for her from Granny’s there was also a cup for her father and anyone else that happened to be at the office with them. Same with grabbing lunch from Granny’s or something from the bakery down the street. He didn’t ask about her date the day after or any other plans she had, and she knew he wasn’t asking Charming for details either. She was glad for that, because no one else in town was keeping quiet with the details. Suddenly her love life was the number one topic in town. She was just waiting for Sidney to make it front page news.

Tonight was her first date with Graham since August came back, and the last one before she put the men on a hiatus while Henry stayed with her. She knew her parents had said they would spend some time with him to give her a break, but she’d spent all that time away from Henry when she was trapped in the Enchanted Forest and every extra minute she could spend with him she would. She was glad that both men understood that and accepted her decision without trying to change her mind.

Graham had told her to dress nicely, and she had looked at her wardrobe and decided there wasn’t anything that would classify as “nice.” Her slinky red dress was in storage in Boston, and while her mother had made the offer to let her borrow something Mary Margaret’s taste hadn’t exactly been something that would make a jaw drop. It was through venting to Red while she picked up lunch for herself and Charming that the other woman suggested she try on something of hers. Emma knew her eyebrow had raised straight up into her hairline but Red assured her she actually did have classy clothing.

Minutes before her date she was in Red’s room, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Red had a black halter dress and it fit her pretty well. She had offered up earrings and a bracelet to add to the outfit, a small clutch and heels which were on the shorter side. She’d even offered to do her make-up for her. It became obvious while they were talking that Red was rooting for Graham as well, and Emma wondered if Red would offer all this extra help up for one of her dates with August. It was only fair, after all. But for tonight, Red had outdone herself. For the first time in a long while she actually felt sexy. At least for the first time since she’d arrived in Storybrooke, at any rate.

“Go and have fun,” Red said as she walked her to the front door of the inn. Graham was supposed to meet her there, and Emma was surprised to find him waiting in the lobby. She had to admit, he cleaned up nicely. He’d gotten a hold of a well cut suit, and the shirt and tie he’d chose suited him well. She was so used to seeing him in jeans and vests and the new leather jacket that this was a nice surprise. And apparently all Red’s work wasn’t wasted because the look on his face spoke volumes.

“You look fantastic,” he said, his eyes wide. She cursed herself for blushing slightly but she could feel the warmth on her cheeks.

“You look good, too,” she said with a grin.

“I spent the day at the next closest city. Someone had recommended a restaurant there and I wanted to be sure it was nice,” he said, offering her his arm. She took it, and they headed out the door. It was a brisk evening and she found herself wishing she had a wrap of some sort, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. “It was interesting leaving Storybrooke.”

“I can imagine,” she said. “I like Storybrooke and all, but it’s nice to go other places sometimes, too. It will be interesting going to Boston to get my stuff.”

“Hopefully I’ll still get to go with you,” he said, leading her to the car. She stayed quiet. If she picked August over him, he wasn’t going to want to go with her. August would want to go, and that would be an interesting trip, too, but she also really wanted Graham to go. It’s not every day a person gets a second chance at being alive, and a bit of travel would be welcome. Of course, she reasoned, if she picked August and Graham was really torn up over it, he may not decide to stay in Storybrooke at all. She frowned slightly at the thought and hoped he hadn’t noticed until he stopped a few feet away from the car. “Emma?” he asked quietly.

“Just got lost in my thoughts,” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “Why don’t you tell me about where we’re going? I didn’t pay much attention when I was bringing Henry home months ago.”

He started to talk, and she listened. While she could have interesting and thought provoking conversations with August, her times with Graham were quieter. She spent more time listening than speaking most of the time, and as they drove the conversation soon turned to histories. He knew a lot about hers, but some well-placed questions started revealing more of his history. It was almost a pity when they got to the restaurant and that particular conversation had to stop.

The restaurant was indeed quite fancy, and Emma looked around. The last time she’d gone to a fancy restaurant was her twenty-eighth birthday, the day her life suddenly changed with Henry’s arrival. And she hadn’t even gotten to enjoy dinner with her fake date, because once she revealed herself to be a bail bondswoman he’d bolted. She was going to enjoy tonight, she decided.

The menu was heavy on surf and turf, and once they got their orders conversation slowed so they could eat. She had to admit the food was superb, probably one of the best meals she’d had in a long while. It was with regret that she ordered dessert; soon dinner would be over, they’d be going back home and her evening would be over. It wasn’t until the bill came that she realized how much she had been enjoying the evening. “So I guess we head back home now,” she said as he paid the bill.

“Actually, their downtown area is similar to ours, and there were some interesting shops. I thought you might want to take a look.”

“Okay,” she said with a nod. She might freeze before the night was over, but this date was turning out to be at least as good as August’s last date. They got up and left, and after a moment he shrugged out of his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She pulled it closer around her, inhaling his scent slightly, and moved nearer to him. Not all of the shops were open, but one caught her eye, a shop that had jewelry in the front window. It wasn’t a jewelry shop, but one of the necklaces caught her eye. “I’d like to go in there,” she said.

Graham nodded. “All right.” They got to the door and he opened it for her, and she walked inside, making a beeline for the display near the window. She picked up the necklace, a chunk of amethyst with silver wire coiled around it, hanging off a long silver chain. That had always been one of her favorite stones, and she fingered it. “That is nice looking.”

“It is, isn’t it?” she said with a smile. “I think I’ll buy it and wear it when we get home.”

“If it’s all right, I’d like to buy it for you,” he said.

“You don’t need to,” she replied.

“Please,” he asked, looking at her, and she slowly nodded. He took the necklace from her and went to the register. It was placed in a velvet drawstring pouch and handed back to him. They looked around the store some more and left without making another purchase, drifting back out to the street. They walked and talked for a little while before they ended up back at the car. “He opened it up for her and she slipped in, taking off his suit jacket and draping it on the back of his seat before he got in. “This has been a good night,” he said as he started the car.

“Yeah,” she said with a genuine smile plastered on her face. 

“I know it was pretty much the same as the rest of our dates, so maybe the next one I’ll do something different,” he said.

“Okay,” she said, not wanting to tell him she honestly didn’t mind just talking to him and doing normal stuff. If he wanted to impress her, she wasn’t going to stop him. She did, however, want to make it clear that she had really enjoyed this evening. But before she could say anything else he was going back to the conversation they’d been having on the way up. They got so caught up in it that it was a surprise he was pulling up in front of her place. “I guess I’m home,” she said.

“I don’t think I’ve talked that much about my past…ever,” he said with a warm smile as they got out. “I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

“I was,” she said with a grin of her own as they moved towards the door of the building. “You know, you don’t need to walk me to the door.”

“It’s proper date procedure,” he replied. “But if you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

She debated it for a moment. “You can take me to the door. But that’s it.” Then she reached over and tentatively grabbed his hand. She hated all forms of PDA but after the conversation tonight the urge to do something like that was overwhelming. He grasped it back tightly and they went into the building. When they got to the door she tentatively leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Night, Graham.”

“Good night, Emma,” he said with a nod, squeezing her hand once and then letting it go. 

She opened the door and went in, and after a moment it registered that Snow and Charming were up, watching a movie. Charming paused the movie as they both turned to look at her. “You look stunning,” Charming said with a grin. “Enjoy your date?”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “We went to the next town over and got dinner, then looked at some of the shops there.”

“We should do that sometime,” Snow said, turning to her husband.

“I definitely recommend the restaurant we went to,” Emma said with a smile. Then she looked at them. “I’m going to change and get some sleep. Early day tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Night, Emma,” Charming replied.

“Night,” Snow said as well.

Emma went to her room and changed out of the dress, careful not to wrinkle it. She changed into her pajamas and went to the bathroom to take her make-up off, then went back to her room. She grabbed the clutch and pulled out the drawstring back, then took the necklace out. She set it down for a moment, unfastening the one already around her neck, then put the new necklace on. She held it in her hand for a moment, a smile on her face, and then she went to her bed and crawled in. All in all, it had been a fantastic day, she thought as she drifted off into sleep. Hopefully her next date would go as well.


	5. Chapter 5

The entire town knew Regina was getting married, but the actual ceremony was small: Regina, Daniel, Henry and surprisingly Snow, Charming and Emma. Daniel and Charming had hit it off well enough that Daniel had asked him to be the best man, and the final bit of mistrust and wariness was laid to rest between Regina and Snow when Regina asked her to be the maid of honor. Henry was the ringbearer and Emma was the only guest. Regina had told her she could bring a date, but she didn’t want to have Graham or August at the wedding. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt this needed to stay a family thing.

Regina looked radiant in a simple white dress. Emma knew for a fact she had used magic to get her gown looking as perfect as it did. Henry knew too, but it didn’t seem to matter to him. She wasn’t using her magic to control him or the other townspeople, and that was all that mattered. Emma watched as Regina walked towards all of them and felt something in her well up, something she didn’t want to think about on this day. She thought about her own wedding, something she had never thought of before, not really. When most little girls had dreamed of their weddings she’d dreamed of freedom. Now she realized she wanted this. She wanted to walk down the aisle to a man who was waiting just for her, who she could pledge herself to for the rest of her life.

The ceremony went on without a hitch, and when Regina and Daniel kissed everyone clapped, and the smiles on their faces were genuine. Regina and Daniel had decided to have a reception that the entire town was invited to, and as soon as the ceremony was over they went to the best restaurant in town, which had been decorated the night before by Snow, Charming, Regina, Daniel and Emma. The rest of the town was already there, waiting patiently for the bride and groom. It seemed as though the town liked Daniel just as much as Emma herself did, and the chance to see him get his happy ending was something no one wanted to miss. The added bonus that they got to see the mayor be deliriously happy was nothing to miss, either.

Emma was seated at the table that the owners had put on a platform with the rest of her family. She was happy for this because the other option had been to sit between Graham and August, which was not something she had looked forward to. She sat down with Snow, Charming and Henry first, and they all waited for Regina and Daniel to be introduced. When they were the entire room cheered, Henry probably the loudest of them all. Regina and Daniel sat down in the middle of their table, with Henry between Regina and Emma, and as they got settled Charming stood and made a speech, followed by Snow, then Henry. When he was done he looked at Emma, who stared back. “You should make a speech too,” he whispered.

“If she doesn’t want to, that’s okay,” Regina said.

“No, I think I would like to say something,” Emma whispered back before standing up, wineglass in her hand. “I never thought this day would happen, where I’d be watching someone I wasn’t fond of celebrating the happiest day of her life. I never dreamed we would ever get along, to be honest. I thought we would spend the rest of our days fighting over Henry and trying to make each other’s lives miserable. And I’m pretty sure all of you would have enjoyed the show.” There was a chuckle through the crowd. “But, I’m pretty sure you guys also like us getting along. I never would have thought there’d be a day like this, but I’m glad there is. Daniel really is your true love, Regina, and I hope the two of you will be happy for a long time.” She raised her glass up and smiled at the happy couple. “To a happy ending for everyone!”

Regina smiled at her warmly as she sat down. “Thank you, Emma.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a sincere smile of her own. She turned to look at everyone sitting down and she caught Graham’s eye. He grinned at her and gave her a nod. Then she searched out August, but she saw he was talking to Red, and they seemed to be enjoying their conversation. And then dinner was being served and she concentrated on eating. After almost everyone had finished it was time for Regina and Daniel to have their first dance as husband and wife. They stepped out onto the dance floor and Emma swore Regina was floating along. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Regina somehow used magic to get them to levitate off the floor, but their feet stayed on the ground. 

Then it was open for everyone to dance. Henry went to go dance with some of the other kids from his school, and Emma watched as her parents went on the floor as well. Emma was quite content to stay up at the table and watch, but fate seemed to have other ideas as she watched Graham make his way up to the table. She braced herself for an invitation but he instead nodded to Henry’s empty seat. “May I?”

“Sure,” she said with a nod.

“I’ve never really seen the appeal of dancing,” he said as he sat down. “I thought about asking you to dance, but I figured I’d make a fool out of myself.”

She laughed a bit at that. “You? I think you’d be a natural.”

“I swear, I have two left feet,” he said with a grin of his own. “Maybe if there’s a slow song I can dance with you. There’s not much to that.”

“Maybe. But then I’d have to dance with August, too,” she said.

“He seems a bit occupied at the moment,” Graham said, nodding to August’s table. He was still in conversation with Red, one that it looked like they were very into. “She seems to have made a new friend.”

“That’s good. August is interesting. I bet he’s telling her about all the places he’s gone to.”

“You’re not jealous?” he asked.

“Why would I be? He’s the one who started this whole thing. He can be friends with Red and still want to date me. It’s just as if it was him up here and you were talking to Red.” That, she realized as she said it, was not _quite_ true. She might get a little jealous, and the realization startled her. Maybe she was already starting to make her decision without realizing it. 

She was about to continue when the music changed to something slow. “Maybe we could have that dance now?” Graham asked.

She looked back at August, who was still talking to Red, then back to Graham. She nodded, and he stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up herself, and then they made their way to the floor. He put one hand on her waist and she put her hand on his shoulder. They held each other’s other hand and held them up slightly, and then they began to sway. They were close, probably the closest they’d been since the kiss when he came back, and she realized she liked this feeling. She liked being close to him like this.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been this close,” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” she said with a slight nod, keeping eye contact with him. He curled his fingers around her waist a little more, and she stepped closer to him. It didn’t matter that she had two guys wanting to date her, or that everyone in town could see who she might prefer. She was enjoying this moment. She didn’t want it to end. They swayed to the music until the song ended and a faster one came on, but she was reluctant to let him go, and it seemed the same for him. But they did separate, and she looked at him closely. “That was nice,” she said.

“It was,” he said with a nod, running a hand through his hair slightly. “You should probably dance with August for the next slow song.”

“Yeah, probably,” she said.

Graham was going to respond when he stopped, then looked down at his hip. “I’m on call. I need to get this,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He put it to his ear and then began moving away from her to someplace quieter where he could take the call.

She watched for a moment, then sighed and went back to her table, only to find Henry sitting in his seat. “Hey, kiddo.”

“Hey,” he said with a grin. “You looked like you were having fun.”

“I was,” she said with a smile.

“Where did Graham go?”

“Someone called for help,” she said. “If it’s important he’ll come get me or your grandpa.”

“Looks like August is having fun, too,” Henry said. 

She turned back to the crowd in time to see Red pulling him onto the dance floor. He seemed to be protesting the idea, but Red was determined. A fleeting thought crossed her mind about why Red was so eager to help her with her date with Graham, and it was that maybe Red would like to see August all by himself. She resolved to ask the woman at some point before her next date. “It seems so,” she replied.

Then Graham was back over to the table. “It seems as though there’s been an accident near the edge of town, at the mines,” he said. “I think you and Charming need to be there with me, from the sounds of it.”

Emma nodded. “Got it.” She stood up and went over to her parents. She tapped her father on the shoulder and he turned to her. “Hate to cut the party short, but duty calls. There’s been accident at the mines.”

Charming nodded. “Let’s go change and see what the damage is.” He turned to his wife. “Sorry about this.”

“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “I’ll take care of Henry until you guys get finished.” She kissed her husband quickly, and then looked at both of them. “Take care, both of you.”

“We will,” Charming said. The two of them headed over to Graham. “What happened?”

“Grumpy and Doc decided to skip the party and work at the mines, see if there was any diamonds to grind into fairy dust. Grumpy fell through a hole into a cavern and can’t get up. Doc can’t get to him,” Graham said. “I figured since Emma’s smaller she might be able to fit if that’s the problem, and three people keeping her in place wouldn’t hurt.”

“Sounds good to me,” Emma said with a nod. “Let’s get changed and get to work. Let me just tell Regina what’s going on first.”

“I’ll meet you at the car,” Charming replied.

Emma turned and went to Regina, tapping her on the shoulder. “There’s been an accident at the mines. Graham and Charming and I are going to take care of it.”

“Should I go as well?” Daniel asked.

“ _No,_ ” Emma said emphatically. “This is your big day. We’ll take care of it. Snow will take Henry back to our place as soon as the party’s over, and then you guys get your week to yourselves.” She gave them a grin. “Just enjoy your party, okay?”

“All right,” Regina said with a nod.

Emma left them and ran right into August. “Sorry,” he said. “Have to go somewhere?”

“There was an accident in the mines,” Emma said with a nod. “Duty calls and all that.”

“Need an extra hand?” he said.

“I think we’re good,” she replied. “If I need you, though, I’ll call. Enjoy the party.”

August looked at her. “Maybe I can get a dance with you later, then.”

“Maybe,” she said. “I’ve really got to go. Later?”

“Later,” he said with a nod.

She hurried out of the restaurant before she ran into anyone else. Her father was waiting by the sheriff’s car, and they climbed in. They hurried to their home and changed, and Graham was waiting outside when they were done. He got into the sheriff’s car and drove them to where the accident was, seeing Doc standing outside the mine entrance. “How bad is it?” Emma asked him as Graham and Charming got the gear Graham had picked up from the trunk.

“He’s awake and complaining,” Doc said with a sigh. “But he can’t move his leg well. He thinks it might be broken.”

“Swell,” Emma said sourly. “Is he in a shaft?”

Doc shook his head. “He fell through the cavern wall. His light broke when he fell through and then rubble fell in the way. I figured I would call one of you guys.”

“Let’s go in and take a look at the damage,” Charming said, hefting the rope he was carrying. He handed Emma a flashlight and the four of them walked into the mines, Doc leading the way. He pointed to the hole in the cavern wall and Charming used his own flashlight to get a closer look. “Emma, think you can fit through the hole?”

Emma came up to him. “Yeah, I can fit. Want me to clear out the rubble from the other side?” she asked as she hooked her flashlight onto the utility belt she’d tossed on when she changed.

Charming nodded. “It doesn’t look that heavy. We’ll work on this side while you try and clear it out on that side.”

“Fine. Give me a boost?” Charming set the rope down and then knelt down, and Emma used him to get to the bottom of the hole, going in feet first. The rocks weren’t very jagged so she didn’t hurt herself as she shimmied her way over them. She found it had fallen in a pile that sloped downward, so when she felt her feet touch the ground she stood up. “Grumpy?” she asked, turning on her flashlight.

“Over here,” he called, and she turned her beam towards his voice before spotting him. “Of all the rotten luck,” he said. She moved over to him and she could see his leg was bent strangely. “I broke it, didn’t I?”

“I think that’s a safe bet,” she said. She handed him the flashlight. “Point this at the pile of rocks while I clear them away, and we’ll get you out of here.”

He took the flashlight, and then started to turn the beam back to the hole when he stopped. “Charming!” he called out.

“Yeah?” he replied from the other side of the hole.

“You’ll never believe what I found,” he called out in an awed voice.

“Diamonds?”

“The fairy dust kind,” Grumpy replied. “Maybe we don’t need them as badly as before, but we’ve got them now.”

“That’s good news!” Charming said. “Let’s concentrate on getting you out of there first and then we’ll celebrate.”

For the next hour Emma moved stones from her end as Graham, Charming and Doc did the same on the other side. All four of them were as careful as they could be, and finally there was enough space for the others to come in. Charming came through first, followed by Graham and then Doc. All of them had flashlights or lanterns, and when Emma turned to look at the wall she saw it sparkling. “That’s actually kind of beautiful,” she said as she looked. “What do you do with them?”

“Grind them up for fairy dust,” Doc said. “This will come in handy if we need it.”

“It’s not like we’re going to be having any big fights,” Emma said. “I mean, Cora’s been taken care of.”

“But she might not be the only one,” Charming said. “It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Emma said. “Still, it seems a shame to just grind them up.”

Graham went over to the wall and knelt down, picking something up. “I don’t think it would hurt if you take this small bit home with you,” he said, handing her a piece of the diamonds that was maybe the size of the amethyst on her necklace. “Right?” he called over to Charming, Doc and Grumpy.

“How big is it?” Grumpy asked.

“About the size of a quarter,” Emma said, turning it over in her hand.

“Can’t get much dust from that,” Grumpy said. “Go ahead and keep it.”

“Thanks,” she said, though she was looking at Graham as she said it. “Maybe I can have someone fit it onto a necklace or something.”

Graham went back and picked something else up. “I’m taking another one that’s a lot smaller,” he said.

“No more,” Grumpy said tersely.

“I have plans for it,” Graham replied.

“Let’s work on getting him out of here,” Emma said as she pocketed her stone. “Graham, you and Charming will help him up and walk him out of here. Doc, you go in front and I’ll follow. Sound good to everyone?” She saw the men nod. “Good. I want to hurry up and get home and take a shower.”

It only took about ten minutes to get Grumpy out of the cavern, and then another twenty to get him to Doc’s car. Doc promised to drive him straight to the hospital and then they were off, leaving the law enforcement personnel on their own. “That went well,” Graham said, wiping some dust off his jacket.

“We got Grumpy out, found fairy dust diamonds, and none of us got hurt,” Charming said. “I’d count that as a good day.”

“I get first dibs on the shower when we get home,” Emma said. “I think it’s going to take two times with the shampoo to get all the dirt out of my hair.”

“I think you look just fine,” Charming said with a slight chuckle.

“You’re just as dirty as I am,” she countered. “And I don’t think your wife is going to appreciate it.”

“Good point,” he said with a nod, the smile still on his face. “Let’s head back to town and get cleaned up.”

They got back into the car and drove back into the town, dropping Graham off first, and then going to their home. Emma headed directly to the bathroom, where she got under the shower. She had been right when she had said she would need to wash her hair twice to get all the dirt out, and when she was finished and dressed in clean clothes she saw Snow and Henry were coming back through the front door. “How was the rest of the party?”

“Pretty good,” Henry said with a grin. “We brought you and Grandpa home some cake. And there’s some for Graham, too. But if none of you want your piece I’ll eat it.”

“It is very good cake,” Snow said with a laugh. “And Red caught the bouquet. She was completely shocked by that.”

“Sounds like you guys had fun,” Emma said with a smile.

“Is Grumpy okay?” Snow asked.

“Looked like he had a broken leg. I’m going to swing by the hospital and double check now that I’m clean, then I’ll go write up the accident report.” She reached over to where she put her keys for the Bug. “And Henry, you can go ahead and have my piece of cake. But _tomorrow_ , after dinner, okay?”

“Cool,” Henry said.

“We’ll see you when you get back,” Snow said with a smile, and with that Emma was out the door.

She got at the hospital at the same time as Graham. “If you’re here to check on Grumpy you can head home,” she said. “I’ve got it.”

“If you don’t mind the company, I’d rather stay. I have a question for him,” he said.

She shrugged her shoulders slightly. “Suit yourself.” They went into the hospital and found out that yes, in fact, he had a broken leg and it was being put into a cast right now. After a few minutes they were directed to a room where Grumpy was, sulking slightly. He wasn’t alone; a young woman who Emma recognized as one of the nuns was nearby. “Hey, just wanted to check in,” she said.

“I broke my leg and I’m stuck in a cast for the next few months,” Grumpy said. “How do you think I’m doing?”

“Grumpy,” the woman said, and the look on his face softened.

“Sorry,” he said.

“I promised I would help take good care of him,” the woman said, extending a hand. “I’m Nova, by the way. In the Enchanted Forest I was one of the fairies.”

“Nice to meet you,” Emma said with a nod as Graham shook her offered hand. “Well, if you’re okay and Nova here is going to take care of you, guess my job’s done. I’ll be at the station filling out the paperwork. See you guys later.” She turned and left, heading to Granny’s before heading to the station. Red was there by herself, and she could see the bouquet Regina had tossed sitting on the counter.

Red didn’t look her normal, happy self, but she did perk up a bit when she realized who was at the door. “Hey, Emma,” she said with a slight smile.

“Hey,” she said, slightly confused. “Everything okay?”

Red looked conflicted for a moment, and she picked up the bouquet, twirling it in her hands. “Did you know I caught the bouquet at Snow’s wedding to Charming?” she said after a moment.

“No, I didn’t. Haven’t really talked to my parents about their wedding, and it’s not like there’s pictures.” She sat at the counter. “What’s wrong with catching the bouquet?”

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just…both times I was single. Both times I wanted to be happy like the people getting married were. Snow had this look of utter contentment on her face that day, even after Regina’s stunt, and then today Regina had the same look. And both times I wanted that sense of happiness, too.”

“You’re young. You still have time,” Emma said.

Red looked even more conflicted, if that was possible. Then she sighed. “I have to tell you something. And I really don’t want to, because it’s selfish on my part. But it’s the truth, and you’re my friend, and I don’t want to lie to you.”

Emma braced herself. Whatever her admission was, it seemed to be pretty big. “Okay. Fire away.”

“Please don’t pick August when you finally make your choice,” Red said. “I…I really like him. I mean, I kind of liked him before, when I was just Ruby, but now…now I _really_ like him. He’s interesting, and he has the best stories. And he even offered to help watch over me the next full moon. He knows the truth and he’s not afraid.”

Emma was glad her eyes hadn’t widened. Truth be told, she had kind of figured out that was how she felt. “What if he doesn’t like you as more than a friend?” she asked.

“I don’t know. But I want a chance to find out,” she replied. “ _Please_ , Emma.”

“Let me have one more date with him first,” she said. “Just to see.”

“Okay,” Red said with a nod. She grinned brightly at Emma. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Emma said. “Could I get a slice of pie and a cup of coffee to go? I have an accident report to fill out.”

“Didn’t you get the piece of wedding cake Regina sent for you?” Red asked as she went to the pie on the counter.

“I did, and I gave it to Henry because he really wanted another piece,” Emma said with a grin. “He really liked it.”

“Yeah, I saw him trying to get a second piece but his mother and Snow said no,” Red said with a chuckle. “I’ll get this for you. On the house, too.”

“Thanks,” Emma said. She had a lot to think about, both about the accident and the discovery of the diamonds as well as the request Red had. She got the feeling that, tonight at least, she wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep. Her head was going to be too crammed with thoughts she wanted to avoid.


	6. Chapter 6

She had kind of made her decision after her correct guess of a sleepless night. When she had woken up at four in the morning, unable to sleep anymore, she was surprised to see her father had been up. Normally with things like this she had talked to Mary Margaret about it. Even when it was the two of them in the Enchanted Forest and she knew that she was her mother, it had been Snow that she’d turned to. She was still trying to reconcile that David was Charming, and Charming was her father. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go to him with this. And after he asked what was wrong, she still wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him.

But then it came spilling out, the words tumbling out of her mouth in what felt like a jumble of thoughts and emotions she could just barely verbalize. Her father did nothing but listen until she stayed silent. Then he told her that she should follow her heart, and if that was what her heart was telling her then that was the right course of action. She’d hugged him, for the first time since the curse was broken she realized, and then went back to sleep a few more hours.

She had made the call to August when she woke up at ten. Charming had agreed to take Snow and Henry out so she would have the place to herself. She was nervous, but she needed to know. She heard the knock at ten thirty, and she steeled up her nerves and opened the door. “Hey,” she said. “Come on in.”

She moved out of the way and August entered the living room. “So, you think you made your decision?” he said, looking around for a moment and then settling his sight on her.

“I think I have. But…Graham got a date and a dance. And before I know for sure, I want to give you the same opportunity at one thing.” She went to the CD player and pressed play. A slow song, one that she had loved when she was younger, came out of the speakers, the sound of music filling the room. “Dance with me.”

August nodded. They met in the middle of the room, and he put a hand on her waist. She settled one hand on his shoulder and then they held the other hands together, moving them upwards, and they began to move in time with the music. She had to admit this was nice, and that he was a good dancer, but something wasn’t there. When she had danced with Graham at the wedding there had been this spark inside her, this need to stay close to him, this urge to kiss him without caring that everyone and their mother was around to witness it. Here, in the complete privacy of her home, she felt none of that with him.

He must have realized it because the song hadn’t finished when he stopped. They didn’t let go of each other, and when she looked at him she saw a faint smile on his face. “You’re thinking about him,” he said quietly.

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “I’m sorry, August.”

“I kind of figured that at the wedding yesterday,” he said. “Even though I was talking to Red the whole time I watched the two of you dance. I could see it then.” He moved his hands away and then took a step back. “You gave me a chance, though. That’s all I wanted.”

“I tried. I did. But…I don’t know. There’s something there that isn’t here between us.” She gave him a faint smile. “But if it makes you feel better, I don’t think you’ll be single for long.”

He chuckled at that. “You know, I think yesterday I realized that maybe I’d been pushing you a little too hard. And that was about the same time I realized Red is kind of attracted to me. She’s not a bad catch, either.”

“Try and put it in better terms for her,” she replied, her smile widening. She went over to him and hesitantly gave him a hug. He hugged her back. “You treat her well or I’ll lock you up,” she said.

He laughed this time, a bit more loudly and robust than before. “Tell Graham if he hurts you I’ll find a way to make him pay, sheriff’s deputy or not.”

“I will,” she said as she pulled away.

“You should go tell him,” he replied. “I think this is news he’ll want to hear as soon as possible.” He turned towards the door and gave her a wave. “Catch you later, Emma.” And with that, he left.

Emma looked at the clock on the wall. She knew he was already at work, and with a speed she didn’t realize she possessed she ran all the way to the station. She stopped at the door, calming herself down and catching her breath. When she felt as calm as she was going to get she opened the door. He was at his desk when she entered, and he looked up. “It’s your day off,” he said with a slight frown.

“I’m not here for work,” she said, wringing her hands slightly. “I made my decision.”

“Ah,” he said, standing up. “I didn’t realize you’d do that so quickly.”

“I didn’t either, to be honest. But yesterday, when we were dancing together, I just…” She stopped wringing her hands and looked down. “I tried dancing with August just now and it didn’t feel the same. It was nice, but it wasn’t what I’d felt with you yesterday. It’s like I didn’t want to leave your arms. I didn’t want the dance to stop. And I wanted to kiss you so badly. I didn’t feel any of that with August.”

She heard rather than saw him move over to her. Once he got in front of her she watched as he took her hands in his, and only then did she look up at his face. “So, you chose me?” he asked her with a grin on his face.

She nodded. “Yeah, I chose you,” she said, a smile on her face. He let go of her hands and framed her face in his, and leaned in. When she kissed him she knew deep down that this was right, that she had made the right choice. They pulled apart after a few moments, and she rested her forehead against his. “That was very nice,” she murmured.

“It was,” he replied.

“I’d kind of like it if you did that again.”

In response he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close against him. “I am on the clock, though.”

“I’m your boss. I say you take a break right now and kiss your girlfriend for a while,” she said with a mock serious look, but she knew her eyes were sparkling.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and when she pulled him in for another longer kiss, she even thought that, maybe, she’d been lucky enough to find true love. If that’s what this was, she was never going to let it go.


	7. Chapter 7

Every week the people who had come from the Enchanted Forest with Snow and Emma gathered to meet up and talk. Four days after Emma made her decision they were all gathered at Snow’s place as Henry and Charming were out enjoying a guy’s night out. Snow had cooked for them, with Emma and Henry’s help, and now they were relaxing after a meal of spaghetti and meatballs. It wasn’t just the women; Killian had joined them this time, since he was at home for the moment, and Phillip had decided to come as well. Milah hadn’t joined them this week because she was getting some new merchandise for her store, but she promised to come the next week. And tonight Emma had invited Graham.

Right now the men were huddled in one corner of the room, listening to Killian animatedly tell a story, and the women were gathered in the kitchen, having dessert. “So you seem happy,” Aurora said to Emma with a smile, picking up her wineglass filled with juice and taking a sip. “Are you glad you made a decision?”

“I am,” Emma said with a smile. “August is a good guy, but there’s no…spark, I guess.”

“I saw him out with Red Riding Hood last night,” Mulan said, picking at her slice of pie. “He seemed to be content with her.”

“Oh come on,” Aurora said, rolling her eyes. “She had his hand in a death grip and he didn’t look like he minded at all. And that was before I caught her kissing him.” She chuckled slightly. “Looks like everyone got their happy ending after all.”

“Yeah,” Snow said with a smile before turning to her daughter. “I’m glad you invited Graham tonight. It looks like he’s made some new friends.”

Emma looked over at the men, and saw that Killian had decided to act out a sword fight he’d been in. She chuckled. “Yeah. He kind of needs some.”

“Well, I have news about new additions,” Aurora said with a smile. “Phillip and I are having our first child together.”

“Really?” Snow said, her eyes wide. “Congratulations!”

“Yeah, congratulations,” Emma said with a smile. “When did you find out?”

“Yesterday. I’d been feeling unwell so I went to the local doctor, and she told me.” She smiled. “We hadn’t expected it so soon, but we’re happy. We’ve gotten an…apartment?” she asked, looking at Snow and Emma, who both nodded. “We have an apartment with two bedrooms. We’ll be moving in later this week.”

“That’s good news,” Mulan said with a slight smile. “If you need my help, I’m available.”

“I am too,” Snow said. “At least on the weekend and after school.”

“Yeah, I’ll help too,” Emma said with a nod. “Just don’t ask me for decorating tips. I’m no good at that.”

“Then I’ll make sure not to ask for your input when your father and I are fixing up his old place,” Snow said with a grin.

“You’re moving?” Aurora asked.

Snow nodded. “We want more room. With the three of us here and Henry on weekends, there’s just not enough room. Plus,” she said, looking at Emma, “we might want to try for another child.” Emma knew this already; it was one of many topics she and her mother had talked about when they were in the Enchanted Forest. She was still coming to terms with the idea that she might get a brother or sister who got the life she should have had, but she wasn’t about to begrudge her parents any more happiness.

“What about you?” Aurora asked Mulan. “Do you want children?”

“Perhaps after I am married,” Mulan said. “Shang and I are in no hurry for either marriage or children, and it is tradition to have a longer engagement.” She finally took a forkful of pie up looked at it. “Plus we are having trouble finding someone to perform the type of ceremony we want.”

“You’ll find someone,” Snow said encouragingly.

“Do you want to get married and have children with Graham?” Mulan asked Emma.

She watched him for a moment. He had a grin on his face as it switched over to Phillip telling a story. As if he could tell she was watching he turned to look at her, his grin getting wider. She found herself smiling back before she turned back to the other women. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I do,” she said with a nod. “I think it might be getting closer to the time I really settle down.”

“I think you two would have very attractive children,” Mulan said with a nod.

“What, like Phillip and I are going to have ugly children?” Aurora asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at Mulan. Snow and Emma were holding back their laughter.

“I think the same for the two of you,” Mulan said to Aurora.

“Well. All right, then,” she said, uncrossing her arms. Emma couldn’t control herself. She let the chuckles drift up out of her. “It’s not that funny, Emma.”

“Oh trust me, it is,” Emma said, her chuckles tapering down. She turned back to the men, and saw that Killian and Phillip were pretending to engage in a duel, using the forks they’d been given for dessert. “Maybe we should go put a stop to that,” she said, pointing with her own fork.

Aurora turned and shook her head, heading over to them, with Mulan and Snow following. Graham got up and headed towards Emma. “Thank you for inviting me tonight,” he said. “You sure made some interesting friends.”

“I did, didn’t I?” she said, her smile getting a bit wider. “Looks like you made some new friends too.”

“I have,” he said with a nod. “So thank you for that as well.”

“You’re welcome.” She looked over at the others and saw they were all pre-occupied with talking Killian and Phillip out of reenacting the duel, so she stepped closer to Graham and kissed him softly. He put an arm around her waist and kissed her back. Even if the others turned and saw her, she realized she probably wouldn’t care _too_ much. After all, she was falling in love with the guy. It didn’t really matter if the whole world knew. As long as he would keep her close, that was all that mattered to her when it came to this relationship.


End file.
